Cabinet having a removable false floor



Sept. 5 1950 C. L. DOERR, SR CABINET HAVING A REMOVABLE FALSE FLOOR Filed May 24, 1948 gwuv/wbcm CfLDo efle, M14071, w

Patented Sept. 5, 1950 OFFICE REMOVABLE FALSE CABINET HAVING FLO Charles L. Doerr, Sr., Metairie, La.

Application May 24, 1948, Serial No. 28,868

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a cabinet and more particularly to a cabinet providing a wardrobe in which clothes may be stored on hangers and which may be lengthened to allow the storage of long dresses and coats.

It is often desirable to have a cabinet providing space for the storage of such things as blankets and folded clothes and also providing space for hanging clothes in a readily accessible location. In the summertime when a long coat is not worn, the wardrobe space for hanging clothes may be short. However, during the winter months it is desirable that the wardrobe space should be large enough to store overcoats and other long clothes in a hanging position. Because of the limited space available in most rooms, it is necessary that the over-all height and length of the cabinet be limited. It is, therefore, desirable to provide a wardrobe which may be lengthened as needed for the hanging of long clothes and a chest which may be lengthened when the more bulky clothes are stored in a folded condition.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cabinet having a wardrobe section in which clothes may be stored on hangers and a chest for the storage of folded and other articles.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cabinet having a wardrobe which may be lengthened as neededv to provide space for coats and long dresses.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a cabinet having a wardrobe section, which may be lengthened, directly above a chest for the storage of other objects and yet attain a tightly closed chest after the wardrobe is lengthened.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combined wardrobe and chest in a compact unit which may be constructed. at low cost.

With these and other objects in mind, which will become apparent in the following description, this invention resides in a cabinet having a wardrobe section for the storage of clothes on hangers. Directly beneath the wardrobe section is a chest which opens into the wardrobe. The cover of the chest is divided into sections which may be moved to lengthen the wardrobe section and provide closure means for the end of the shortened chest.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet with its doors open;

Figure 2 is a detailed iragmental View, in perspective, of the structure supporting the cover and showing the wardrobe in the lengthened condition; and,

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the section line 33 in Figure 2 illustrating the method of closing the end of the chest as the wardrobe space is lengthened.

Referring to Figure 1, the cabinet, indicated generally by I, is supported on legs 2 and 3 which may be equipped with rollers 4 and 5. The cabinet is equipped with doors 6 and I which open to allow access to a wardrobe compartment 8 Within the cabinet. Locks 9 and I0 may be provided on the swinging edge of the doors 6 and 1 to hold them closed. Preferably the cabinet is either constructed of, or lined with, cedar to repel moths.

The wardrobe compartment 8 normally extends from the lower surface of the top I I of the cabinet to the cover of a chest I2 at the bottom of the cabinet. Generally, the wardrobe compartment 8 is equipped with a rod I3 extending across the width of the cabinet to support clothes on hangers. Of course, a plurality of hooks, not shown, may be installed within the wardrobe compartment for hanging other clothes.

The chest I2, which is directly below the wardrobe compartment 8, is provided with a removable cover, indicated generally by I4. The cover I4 serves as a floor for the wardrobe compartment as well as a cover for the chest. Cover I4 is constructed of a number of sections, the two shown in the drawings being indicated by reference numerals I5 and I6, which open upwardly into the wardrobe compartment. The sections I5 and I6 may be of equal length or may be of unequal lengths, as is shown in the drawings. The sections I5 and I6 of the cover I4 may be provided with finger holes I1 and I8 or any suitable handle to facilitate their removal and thereby provide easy access to the chest.

As is best illustrated in Figure 2, a series of cleats I9 are secured to the inner wall of the chest for the support of the cover It which merely rests on the cleats. The cleats do not extend continuously from one end of the cleat to the other, but are spaced to form a gap 25 for the reception of part of the cover I l when the wardrobe compartment is lengthened. The gap 23 is located directly beneath the edge of the section I5 adjacent the section I6. In some instances, for instance when the cover I 3 is made of more than two sections, it may be desirable that a number of gaps 20 be pro-vided to allow the insertion of a section of the cover at a number of different positions.

A pair of stays 2| and 22 are also secured to the inner wall of the chest and extend vertically down from the cleats H! at the gap 20 for the support of a section of the cover [4 when the wardrobe section is lengthened. Stays 2| and 22, best shown in Figure 3, are spaced apart a distance of substantially twice the thickness of the cover I4. It is then possible to adjust the size of the lengthened portion of the wardrobe in the manner hereinafter described.

Normally, especially during the warmer months, the cabinet will be used in the condition shown in Figure 1. Both sections [5 and I6 of the cover M of the chest I2 will rest on the cleats l9 and thereby provide a relatively short wardrobe compartment over a chest extending the full width of the cabinet. The length of the compartment from the rod 13 to the cover [4 of the chest is suificient to allow the hanging of the ordinary summer clothes. The floor of the cornpartment formed by the cover [4 of the chest 12 is suitable for the storage of shoes, etc.

When an elongated wardrobe section to allow the hanging of long desses or coats is desired, one of the sections, section 15 in the drawings, may be removed from its position at rest on the cleats E B and inserted in the gap 2!} between the sections of the cleats l9 and the stays 2| and 22.

When section I5 is placed on edge in the position illustrated in Figure 2, the section is of the cover [4 will hold section [5 against the stay 2! at the top of the chest l2. The articles within the chest below section is will hold the lower end of the section I5 against the stay 2.! and the section 15 will, consequently, be held firmly in an upright position.

The section l5 of the cover l4 of the chest is longer than the depth of the chest, and the section will extend upwardly above the level of the section [6 as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The section l5 then forms a retaining wall above the level of the section 16 to prevent objects resting on the section l6 from falling into the chest. Below the level of the section IS the section [5 provides closure means for the end of the chest.

The removal of the section l5 from the cleat l9 and its placing in the position illustrated in Figure 2 allows clothes hanging in the wardrobe compartment to extend below the level of the cover of the chest. The wardrobe compartment is then suitable for the hanging of coats and long dresses.

By making the width of the gap 20 approximately twice the thickness of the cover l4, it is possible to insert either of the sections in the gap. The vertical section resting on its edge will then be held between the other section of the cover l4 and one of the stays. For example, if the section l6 were inserted in the gap 28, the section l5 will bear against one of its faces and the stay 22 will bear against the other face. In this manner it is possible to adjust the elongated section of the compartment 8 to the width required, depending upon the number of long clothes to be stored, by making the sections of the cover unequal in length.

The cabinet herein described is a compact unit providing space for the storage of clothes both in a hanging and folded condition. The space for the clothes stored on hangers may be lengthened to provide the space necessary for hanging coats and long dresses. The novel structure of the cover of the chest allows the formation of a tightly sealed chest when the wardrobe compartment is lengthened.

While the preferred modification of this invention has been described in detail, it is to be understood that the concept of the invention is not limited to those details, but falls within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cabinet comprising a chest, a wardrobe above the chest, a removable cover on the chest forming the floor of the wardrobe, cleats on the inner walls of the chest for the support of the cover, said cover being divided into sections whereby a section may be removed to form an elongated portion of the wardrobe, said cleats being spaced at intervals along their length whereby the removed section of the cover may be placed on edge on the floor oi the cabinet and extend upward between the cleats to form a closure for the end of the chest.

2. A cabinet comprising a, chest, a wardrobe directly above the chest, a cover on the chest opening into the wardrobe, said cover consisting of a plurality of separate sections, cleats secured to the wall of the chest for supporting the cover, said cleats being spaced at intervals along the length of the chest, and stays extending downward from the cleats whereby a section of the cover of the chest may be removed from the cleats and held on edge on the floor of the chest by the stays to form an elongated wardrobe and provide end closure means for the chest.

3. A cabinet comprising a chest, a wardrobe directly above the chest, a cover on the chest forming the floor of the wardrobe, cleats secured to the wall of the chest on which the cover is supported, a gap in said cleats spaced at a dis tance from an end of the chest greater than the depth of the chest, and stays secured to the walls oi the chest extending downwardly from the gap, said cover divided in alignment with the gap to form at least tw sections whereby a section of the cover having a length greater than the depth of the chest may be inserted in the gap in the cleats to stand on edge on the floor of the chest and provide an elongated section of the wardrobe, said section of the cover providing a closure for one end of the chest and extending above the level of the cover of the .chest to form a retaining wall.

4. In a cabinet having a wardrobe positioned over a chest, a removable cover for the chest forming the floor of the wardrobe, said cover being divided into sections, and means for supporting one section of the cover on edge on the floor of the chest adjacent the end of another section.

5. A cabinet comprising a chest, a Wardrobe directly above the chest, a cover on the chest forming the floor of the wardrobe, cleats on which the cover rests secured to the wall of the chest, a gap in said cleats spaced at a distance from an end of the chest greater than the depth of the chest, and stays secured to the walls of the chest extending downwardly from the gap, said cover divided in alignment with the gap to form at least two sections whereby a section of the cover having a length greater than the depth of the chest may be inserted in the gap in the cleats to stand on edge on the floor of the chest and provide an elongated section of the wardrobe, said section of the cover providing a closure for one end of the chest and extending above the level of the cover of the chest to form a retaining wall and a hole in each section of the cover to facilitate adjusting the sections.

6.. A cabinet comprising a top, side-walls, and a bottom, .a chest in the bottom portion of the cabinet and a wardrobe directly thereabove, a

front wall extending from the bottom a, minor portion of the distance to the top of the cabinet to form the front wall of the chest, doors adapted to close the opening in the front of the cabinet above the front wall, a cover for the chest, said cover forming the floor of the wardrobe and comprising a plurality of sections at least one of which is of greater length than the height of the front wall, said cover sections being removable to provide an extension of the wardrobe, and means for supporting the removed section on end against an in-place section of the cover to provide end closure means for the chest.

CHARLES L. DOERR, SR.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 315,760 Garrison Apr. 14, 1885' 796,738 Le Cuyer, Jr. Aug. 6, 1905 2,127,963 Rottman Aug. 23, 1938 10 2,158,503 Hewel May 16, 1939 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,521,570 September 5, 1950 CHARLES L. DOERR, SR.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 2, line 43, for the Word cleat read chest;

and that thesaid Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of November, A. D. 1950.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gammissz'oner of Patents. 

